


old friend

by thenightwolf732



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, Developing Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, First Kiss, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt Sherlock Holmes, Johnlock - Freeform, Love Confessions, M/M, POV John Watson, POV Sherlock Holmes, Parentlock, Pining, Post TFP, Post-Canon, Post-Season/Series 04, angst with happy ending, papa lestrade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-27 02:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20400262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenightwolf732/pseuds/thenightwolf732
Summary: “sweetheart you need to be a little quiet, we don’t want to wake sherlock just yet.”Well despite their valiant efforts sherlock woke with a smile on his face.--------------------------------------------------------sherlock is confronted by somebody from john's past who doesn't think very highly of him.





	1. Chapter 1

“sweetheart you need to be a little quiet, we don’t want to wake sherlock just yet.”  
Well despite their valiant efforts sherlock woke with a smile on his face. he didn’t know when he’d get tired of hearing john and rosie’s voice first thing in the morning. He hoped he wouldn’t ever. It was almost two months since john had moved in to the room upstairs. And sherlock had never been happier in his life. After checking his phone, sherlock swung his legs off the bed and got up to get ready for his day while listening to john’s whispers and Rosie’s babbling. 

When he stepped into the kitchen john had finished feeding rosie and was cleaning up the table. He looked up and grimaced in apology. “sorry I hope we let you get at least a bit of sleep.”  
“oh you know me” sherlock said as he walked to rosie and picked her up from her high chair for a morning greeting.” Don’t need much sleep. Good morning Watson. May I have a kiss?” he said to wonder in his arms before she made happy noises and bumped his face to sherlock’s in an attempt for a kiss.  
“well there’s room for improvement” sherlock chuckled.” but I’ll take it gladly” he dropped a light kiss on top of the blond curls.  
“aww you’re adorable” john teased mockingly.  
“how DARE you? “ sherlock kept a grin off his face. “ I am no such thing. “  
John smiled and turned around to lean on the counter with his mug of tea. Sherlock put rosie back in her chair and went to the fridge trying to ignore the warm feeling in his chest. John’s soft looks and smiles had been warming him for weeks, filling the gaping hole sherlock felt for months after mary’s death. Although he craved for more, he was satisfied with what he had.  
“hey do you mind watching her for a few hours? I have a short shift today and was wond…”  
“of course john” sherlcok cut him short. “ her company is always a pleasure. “ he finished with a smile which john returned with a grateful one.  
__________________________________  
Rosie was clanking on her xylophone while sherlock sat cross-legged in front of her listening to her concerto, swiping on his emails when he heard the front door’s bell. Mrs Hudson and a man’s muffled voice reached him. It didn’t sound like anybody familiar. Client then, but mrs Hudson had let him up despite sherlock’s rule of no client while he was watching rosie. His gait on the steps were calculated. Interesting. 

Sherlock got up after a short glance to rosie and opened the door before the person could knock.  
“good morning.” The tall man was obviously caught off guard. He seemed to be in his forties, had short brown hair and a hard expression. He was wearing dark jeans and a loose coat over a black jumper.

“I’m sorry i can’t see clients right now. “  
“I’m not here as a client.” Well he knew that already.  
“then may I ask what? My landlady wouldn’t have let you up if you were a client so you either have told her you’re a relative or a friend. She knows most of our friends so either an old friend or a relative. Which one then?”  
“I’m here to see john Watson. He’s an old friend. Name’s Fred Lautner. “

Rosie let out a loud squeak at the name of john. Sherlock stepped aside to let him in.  
“he’s out at the moment.”  
The first thing lautner noticed was rosie.  
“you have a beautiful daughter.” He said curiously.  
“she is exceptional. Would you like some tea? “ sherlock didn’t know why he didn’t correct the man’s assumption.  
“no thanks. When is dr. Watson coming back? “ lautner asked cautiously while standing behind john’s chair in front of the kitchen obviously in a hurry like he didn’t want to sit down.  
“I don’t know exactly. How do you know john? I don’t recall your name among his old friends.”  
Lautner shifted his weight from a foot to another and hesitated before answering.

“no you wouldn’t. My boyfriend is the one who knew dr. Watson in the army.” He said with a slight bitterness to his voice.  
Knew. Bitterness. Did his boyfriend cheat on him with john? Possible. Either way sherlock felt that he was not here on a heartfelt purpose to visit john. Sherlock hid his desire to protect john under a mask of friendly curiosity.

He walked to rosie and picked her up.  
“Excuse me I’ll be back to wait for john with you in a minute. “  
Rosie squealed angrily at being carried away from her circle of toys but sherlock snuggled her closer to his chest.  
“I’m sorry rosebud.” He whispered in her ear. ” It’s okay we’ll take mr. elfi to see nanna.” He picked up the stuffed elephant before walking down the stairs to mrs. Hudson’s flat.

After asking mrs. Hudson to stay in in her flat with rosie till he came to get them, he was back up with Fred Lautner; who was regarding the mantel particularly the framed picture there. lestrade had taken it a few weeks ago. In it Rosie was in sherlock’s arms laughing at the camera while john was smiling at sherlock. 

Lautner moved away from the fireplace when sherlock reentered the flat and walked to his chair.  
“that’s a beautiful family picture there mr holmes. I guess the tabloids have missed the fact that you’re raising a child with your old friend. “he said with a smile that didn’t touch his eyes.  
“yes thank you. I’m sorry I’m just curious why all of a sudden you have decided to visit a friend of your boyfriend. “ sherlock asked casually sitting in his chair.  
Lautner still avoiding the chairs looked long at sherlock without answering. 

“my boyfriend died a week ago. “ he said with a flat voice. His gaze falling to the floor and staying there.  
“ oh,… my condolences. “  
“Thank you… he passed away after years of therapy, hospitals and surgeries. “

Lautner’s unamused smile was back as he stared at the picture on the mantel although clearly not seeing it.  
“ and here John watson happily raising a kid with his long lost life partner. “

Sherlock wanted to scoff at the man’s assumption but it was apparent that he had read all the gossips about their life. It was a while since people had thought they were together but nothing ever gets deleted off the internet. So he focused on the more pressing issue.  
“I’m sorry but what does john’s life have to do with your boyfriend’s… situation? “  
Lautner chuckled. “what does john Watson… God …” 

Sherlock waited for him to finish but he seemed to be breathing with difficulty. His mind thought about answers to his question but none seemed probable. the cheating theory was irrelevant to the chronic illness therefore out of the window. Had john caused the illness by being violent?  
Sherlock involuntarily flinched with the memory of fists touching his face and feet kicking his ribs. He inhaled through his nose. No, a beating wouldn’t cause chronic illness. Had john failed to cure him while he was wounded in action? Possible but not probable since people usually believe that their doctors do whatever they can to help them, they trust them. 

“ok I’ll tell you what.” Lautner said finally with a strange calm over his whole features. “ I’ll tell you what happened and you tell me what you would do if you were me… Jake… My boyfriend…he was too  
close to an explosion in Afghanistan… him and a few other people… John Watson and others come to help and move the injured… because the location wasn’t secure… they had to take them back…but…” he laughed again.  
“problem was that they couldn’t take more than four people with themselves. There were more than that injured… so john Watson decided to play god and CHOSE who should be saved.”

Sherlock’s hands felt icy at the contempt at the man’s voice for john. His john.  
“well I’m sorry but it’s …um” sherlock said quietly.” he had to choose the ones who were more probable to survi…”

“SHUT UP.” Lautner was yelling with red eyes. “ It was not his choice…Jake survived but barely.... they came back for him a day later… if he was just taken at first… “ his eyes filled with tears.  
In lautner’s shouting they had missed a newcomer down the stairs talking quietly to mrs. Hudson. John. Sherlock thought to himself. He shouldn’t have come back so soon. he needed to keep this unstable mourner away from john at the moment.

Lautner seemed to have caught on with sherlock’s intentions because he smiled dangerously.  
“well I lost the love of my life because of him.” He took a deep breath with resolve settling in his eyes. ” I want him to know the feeling. “ 

Sherlock stumbled to get up out of his chair when Fred Lautner took a gun from the back of his belt and fired.


	2. Chapter 2

Nononononono. Sherlock felt the impact in his gut and staggered backwards. No he couldn’t leave john alone with this lunatic. He had to stay… the door to the flat opened with a loud noise as sherlock slid to the floor unable to stand any longer. But the newcomer wasn’t john it was lestrade who was shouting.  
“… your weapon.” Sherlock made the words out over the pain that had taken his body. “… hands in the air…”  
Lestrade handcuffed lautner to the radiator pipes in the kitchen then rushed to sherlock’s side with a phone in his hand.  
“sherlock? Listen to me … help is on the way…” he said as he pressed his hand to the bloody hole in sherlock’s abdomen.  
“rosie” sherlock swallowed over the searing agony. “keep him… away...”  
“don’t worry she’s safe. Just save your energy alright? “ lestrade sounded frantic his eyes full of worry.  
Sherlock sagged further against his chair, his grip loosening on his wound. He could relax now john wasn’t here, lestrade was. Everything was alright. Darkness enveloped him and he let go despite lestrade’s warnings. He couldn’t make out his words anymore.  
\-----------------------------------------------------  
John had a bag of groceries In one hand and took out his ringing phone with difficulty Glancing at the caller name before answering.  
“Hi greg. How is it going?” he said absentmindedly trying to fetch a cab back home.  
“john… it’s about sherlock.” Greg’s tone filled his heart with ice. He had heard sentences like this too many times now.  
“what what’s wrong? where is he?” he blurted out panting.  
“calm down … he’s alive… there was a shooting in baker street”  
Oh god no... sherlock … he was supposed to be watching rosie today. The grocery bag slipped through his numb fingers but he barely noticed.  
“ro…” he tried but his voice failed him. “rose…”  
“she’s fine … totally …sorry… she’s with mrs.hudson safe and sound. “ greg said quickly.  
John took a deep breath. Okay sherlock god sherlock.  
“where is he?”  
“In an ambulance. They’re taking him to London medical. Probably already there by now. I couldn’t go with him I had to arrest the shooter and take him away. “  
The shooter. John hadn’t thought about that till now. somebody had shot sherlock in his own home. Their home. He was glad lestrade was already taking him away or john didn’t know what he’d do if he got his hands on him.  
“I’ll get there as fast as I can … just greg… how bad …is he…” he couldn’t finish his sentence.  
“I don’t know john he was shot in the lower abdomen...I…we can only hope…”  
“fine thanks” john managed before hanging up and calling a cab.  
\----------------------------------  
John was sitting outside the operation room with his elbows on his knees and head between hands. He had already talked to mrs. Hudson who had held the phone to an oblivious rosie babbling happily at hearing his daddy’s voice. John had covered his mouth to muffle the relief sobs getting out of his throat. Mycroft had been informed and sent agents to ensure the safety of their home. Too little too late but john was still grateful. because he could focus his painful anxiety on only one of his loved ones. 

“Are you alright?” Greg said as he sat beside john.  
Like it even mattered if he was alright. Like he hadn’t almost just lost his daughter. Like sherlock wasn’t fighting with death a few rooms away.  
“Rosie…my beautiful amazing Rosie… she could’ve…” he struggled to get the words out that were threatening to choke him. He put his face back in his hands.  
“just because I couldn’t stay away from sherlock … from baker street…what was I thinking… a child doesn’t belong in the world of a man with this many enemies “  
he didn’t want to blame him, especially now but he couldn’t help it. He also couldn’t help hate himself. John was selfish to bring rosie back to the world of criminals and murderers just because he felt empty without it. Just because life with sherlock was the only thing that ever made him really happy other than his daughter.  
“Actually you couldn’t be more wrong. “ Lestrade said hesitantly.  
John sat up to look at him waiting. Greg uncomfortably scratched the back of his neck. Looking straight at the floor avoiding john’s eyes.  
“what do you mean?”  
“He.. the shooter…fred lautner .. wasn’t there for sherlock.” Lestrade finally looked at john. “I interrogated him before coming here. He was…. looking for you.”  
And when john continued to stare at him confused he continued. “apparently his boyfriend is dead because you didn’t treat him back when you were in the army.”

John could have been falling by the hollowness in his heart. He tore his eyes from Greg and felt the back of his head hit the wall behind. He could guess the rest but greg told him either way.  
“He has found your last address and went to baker street looking for you. he found sherlock instead so he thought…. it would be a fitting revenge. “ lestrade finished awkwardly. 

John was hit with a new wave of self-loathing. Of course he was ready to blame sherlock again. Of course he didn’t even think about acknowledging his own part. God. This could be a disaster all over again. Because john was always ready to jump sherlock’s throat the second everything went to shit. The man was shot… again… because of john.  
“at least that’s all he said before a lawyer got there.” Greg took pity on him. “ we can get the details later. “  
John didn’t want more details. He just wanted sherlock to be alright again.  
\--------------------------------------------------  
Sherlock’s murky brain was filled with dread. He had an urge to do something but what he didn’t know. He knew he was running out of time. He had to… but he couldn’t. the cloud in his head took over his body. 

The next time he came to himself, he could hear. The beeping sound, someone breathing. His middle was heavy with pain but he managed to open his eyes. The first thing he saw was a bluish light. After his eyes adjusted, he looked around and saw the hospital room he was in. then he noticed the breathing source which looked a lot like john’s gray-blonde head napping on his left hand on the mattress. Sherlock had a strong desire to just run his hand through those strands. He couldn’t find a reason not to, yes his mind was cloudy and yes he didn’t exactly know why he was in the hospital again but this was john. John was good. So he did what he wanted. 

But the second his left hand touched his scalp, john jumped and opened his eyes.  
“God sherlock. You’re awake.”  
John. Amazing john. As ever stating the obvious. Sherlock chuckled to himself.  
“what..” he tried to say. But his throat was scratchy. He swallowed and tried again. “what happened?” john who was a bit alarmed at his laugh, relaxed and brought him a cup with a straw and raised his bed head. Sherlock gratefully accepted. 

“you were shot. Don’t you remember? Baker street? Fred lautner?”  
Oh. Images rushed back in his mind with terror. He sobered slightly.  
“rosie?” he asked quickly.  
“she’s fine. Mrs Hudson. “  
“good.” Sherlock relaxed against his pillows. “that’s good.”  
“yeah. “but john didn’t sound particularly happy. He stared at sherlock and inhaled loudly.  
“Greg told me what happened. “he said gravely. “I’m sorry sherlock. My past put you in danger.”  
“oh come on john.” Sherlock said lightly, drugs messing with his mind again.” I’m fiiiine.”  
“you could’ve died. “ john said loudly. “and for a mistake I made years ago. “  
“I didn’t.” sherlock said firmly. “I’m just happy I got Rosie out of the flat soon enough. And he just shot me.”  
John shuddered probably thinking what would happen if he had shot sherlock when he was holding rosie.  
“Why DID he shoot you though? I mean if he was that hurt and wanted to make me miserable? He couldn’t have known… how did he know?” john swallowed audibly.

Sherlock couldn’t figure out what john meant. He couldn’t have known what exactly? His thoughts were getting slower by the second.  
“I dunno” he half slurred. “probably because he thought we’re a couple”  
“why would he think that?” john frowned with confusion.  
“because I didn’t correct him” sherlock chuckled again.  
John had an odd expression that sherlock couldn’t decipher.  
“why don’t you ever?” john said finally after a few moments. “you never correct people when they think we’re together. Why?”  
“I dunno” sherlock’s eyes were getting heavy. “maybe ‘cause I want it to be true.”

In the back of his mind something was nagging him that he shouldn’t have said that but he was too tired to care. And it couldn’t have been that bad, john was looking at him in a very soft and loving way. So he relaxed and basked in the warmth of john’s smile.

Next thing he knew was john’s lips against his own. Even drugged to his eyeballs he knew that this groundbreaking feeling was real. That john, his amazing john had kissed him with his super soft lips. John backed away but his hand was still on sherlock’s face and their foreheads were touching. John kissed him gently again and sat back on his chair holding his hand. 

Sherlock remembered to open his eyes and breath.  
“there’s um…” sherlock found his voice. “there’s a good chance I won’t remember this when I wake up. “  
John looked uncertain. “do you want to?” he asked quietly.  
“john I have been in love with you for years I think I would like to remember our first kiss.”  
John let out a shaky laugh. “then I’ll make sure to remind you.” 

Sherlock’s eyes closed and he decided to give in. he felt john dropping a gentle kiss against his forehead. And he thought he heard a whisper.  
“I love you too.” But that could have been a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I enjoyed writing this very much. I hope you enjoyed reading it too :) comments are very appreciated. :)


End file.
